13.10.2026 15:30
The details of the bribery and corruption investigation into Etimesgut Municipality have emerged. In the investigation, in which 40 people including Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu were arrested, it was alleged that money was demanded in return for irregularities in tenders, concert stands, parking, and licensing transactions. In the second wave of the investigation, 25 suspects, including deputy mayors Gültekin Bayındır and Fikret Gözüoğlu, were detained this morning.
In the investigation conducted by the Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Court of Accounts reports, complainant statements, audio recordings, and MASAK analyses were entered into the case file. In the first wave of the investigation, 55 suspects had been detained.
25 DETENTIONS IN THE SECOND WAVE
According to details that emerged regarding the investigation, on October 13, simultaneous operations were carried out in 5 provinces centered on Ankara. A total of 25 suspects, including Etimesgut Deputy Mayors Gültekin Bayındır and Fikret Gözüoğlu, 5 of whom were municipal officials, were detained.
The suspects were detained on charges of “forming, managing, and becoming a member of a criminal organization”, “embezzlement”, “bribery”, “extortion”, “rigging a tender” and “fraud in the performance of an obligation”.
40 ARRESTS IN THE FIRST OPERATION, INCLUDING THE MAYOR
At the first stage of the investigation, on July 30 at 04:45, an operation was carried out against 55 suspects, 42 of whom were municipal officials and 13 of whom were company officials. During the operation, searches were conducted at 56 residences, 15 workplaces including the municipal building and Etimkent AŞ, and 41 vehicles.
While 40 suspects, including Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu, were arrested, a judicial control decision was issued for 14 suspects. It was stated that one suspect was receiving treatment in hospital, and efforts to capture a fugitive suspect were ongoing. Among the suspects were a deputy mayor, department managers, tender commission chair and members, and municipal council members.
HANDGUNS AND TENDER DOCUMENTS IN THE SEARCHES
During searches at the suspects' homes and workplaces, 1 million 250 thousand lira, foreign currency worth 120 thousand, 113 grams of gold, a large amount of digital material, 10 folders of tender documents, and 5 handguns with their magazines were seized.
Beşikçioğlu, who was arrested by the decision of the Ankara West 2nd Criminal Judgeship of Peace dated August 2, was suspended from duty by the Ministry of Interior as a temporary measure.
IRREGULARITIES FOUND IN COURT OF ACCOUNTS REPORTS
There are 6 Court of Accounts reports in the case file. The reports included findings that irregularities were committed in many tenders, including tenders with tender amounts of 814 million 498 thousand 556 lira and 760 million 591 thousand 551 lira. In some of the reports, public loss was determined as 812 thousand 825 lira and 507 thousand 361 lira.
In the investigation, it was alleged that irregularities were committed in tenders and fake documents were issued. It was claimed that people were forced into extortion or bribes were taken in the opening of stands at concert areas, parking lot leasing, and zoning and permit procedures.
“1 MILLION LIRA FOR OCCUPANCY PERMIT” CLAIM
According to the statement of a complainant in the file, suspects S.Z. and O.Y. demanded 2 million lira as an occupancy permit fee in an office room at the municipality. The complainant alleged that when he said the amount was too high, O.Y. said that Deputy Mayor Mutlu Kerimoğlu would not accept less than 1 million lira, and that he later gave O.Y. 1 million lira.
An academic also, in his testimony, filed a complaint alleging that in a construction project in Eryaman, the contractor settled the permit matters by bribing S.Z. and Mutlu Kerimoğlu.
IT WAS ALLEGED THAT MONEY WAS DEMANDED FOR A CONCERT STAND AND PARKING LOT
A complainant who wanted to organize a concert at Optimum Shopping Mall claimed that money and a stand were demanded from him. According to the information note, the file also contains an audio recording stated to belong to Deputy Mayor Mutlu Kerimoğlu and Beşikçioğlu’s bodyguard H.Y., which supports this statement.
Another complainant alleged that he was forced into extortion by being told that a parking lot would be given to him, and that money was taken from him. A contractor also alleged that a bribe was demanded from him in return for construction projects.
EFFECTIVE REMORSE TESTIMONY
It was stated that S.K., who worked as a paymaster at the municipality and is detained, gave a statement within the scope of effective remorse regarding tenders being carried out irregularly and in an “address-delivered” manner. The file also includes CİMER applications regarding bribe requests in some permit procedures.
MONEY TRANSFER IN THE MASAK REPORT
According to MASAK data, whose work is ongoing, it was determined that some suspects transferred money to business owners and among themselves. In the information note, as an example, it was stated that a total of 975 thousand lira was transferred in 2 transactions to Beşikçioğlu through a café and restaurant belonging to Mutlu Kerimoğlu at the end of 2024. In HTS analyses, it was also determined that some municipal officials were in contact with business owners.